St Alma

St. Alma is the sister venue to Avalon’s popular Alma restaurant, an established purveyor of good times, tasty hard shell sashimi tacos, and one killer fig mezcal Negroni.

Owned by Northern Beaches locals Jack Leary and executive chef Tim Christensen, the new Freshwater outpost promises much of the same classic beach venue vibes crossed with Australian-meets-Mexican influence. This time, just a few suburbs down the coastline and closer to those living south of the bridge.

Sat on Albert Street in the old Bendigo Bank building, a five-minute walk from Freshwater beach, St. Alma takes inspiration from Leary and Christensen’s travels through Mexico while still capturing the unique essence of its local village area. With Freshie being the two owner’s initially desired location to open shop back in 2017, their wish has come true in a win-win for all.

St. Alma's menu draws from the pair’s culinary fact-finding expedition from some years back. Collaborating with and learning from chefs along the way, they taste-tested over 30 different restaurants and eateries along Mexico’s east coast and southwest region.

The menu focuses heavily on sharing plates (think whole deboned snapper or crispy pork belly) and showcases its own distinct flavours and dishes under head chef Ricardo Lemus.

A couple of must-try dishes worth strong consideration on your first visit include the prawn aguachile—lightly cured prawns, served with chile de arbol and habanero mix, pickled onion, hazelnuts, cucumber, and coriander. Or the agave glazed short ribs served with grilled cos lettuce, pickled Dutch carrots, and handmade corn tortillas.

Of course, we’d be remiss to not shout out the refreshing and appropriately tequila and mezcal-heavy seasonal cocktail list on offer at St. Alma. Make your way through the margarita menu, from a classic or Tommies to Jalapeno or white chocolate and coconut. Or for something ultra-refreshing, try the “If You Like Pina Coladas” with white rum, Rhum Agricole, pineapple, coconut, nutmeg, and citrus.

In the spirit of a shared meal with a group of mates, the Tasting Menu ($69) is a six-course onslaught of deliciousness featuring guac, ceviche, tacos, tostadas, share plates, and desserts. An experience we highly recommend pairing with the premium drinks package ($80) and two hours of bottomless margaritas, wines, and beers from local Northern Beaches craft brewery Modus.

As for the restaurant design, that has a distinctly Sydney feel, with local hospitality designers Five Foot One jumping on board to design and construct a contemporary and uniquely coastal vibe. 

Image credit: St. Alma